On Wednesday, frequent "Morning Joe" guest Richard Haass suggested that not only did America have a "deep state," but upstanding career bureaucrats like Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein was proof that the country needed one.
The surprising admission came after a lengthy montage the show ran of Republicans praising Rosenstein's service.
"It was great listening to that. That was a civics lesson and it's why you need a deep state," said Haass, who also serves as the longtime president of the Council on Foreign Relations.
"You need people whose commitment is not to the person, but is to the process and the law," he added. "You would want every high school kid in America to watch that. You know good for him. That's just what this country needs. And that's kind of who we are. That's our DNA. That was actually a really good moment."
Donald Trump's battle against "deep state" enemies in the Department of Justice and the FBI has become an animated battle cry among his staunchest supporters online and on the far right.
The love for Rosenstein on set was precipitated by news that a series of unnamed GOP lawmakers in the House had circulated articles of impeachment against the man who is now leading the Department of Justice's investigation into collusions between the Trump presidential campaign and Russia.
Rosenstein offered a feisty response to the news himself on Tuesday during a wide-ranging discussion at the Newseum to celebrate "Law Day."
"I think they should understand by now that the Department of Justice is not going to be extorted," he said. "We're going to do what's required by the rule of law, and any kind of threats that anybody makes are not going to affect the way we do our job."
Comment: Countries obviously do need deep states. Governments could not function without some continuity between administrations. But if anything, Rosenstein is an example of why deep states can be hindrances to actual democracy. Funny that Haass sees the deep state's worst features (and worst exemplars) as a positive reason for its existence. Or, actually, not so funny - just very revealing.